Assembled product and a method of assembling the assembled product

ABSTRACT

An assembled product includes at least three elements arranged in three different planes. A first element is connected perpendicular to a second element, and a third element is connected perpendicular to the second element. The assembled product includes one or more locking devices, each comprising a flexible tongue arranged in an insertion groove one of the at least three elements. The flexible tongue cooperates with a tongue groove, at an adjacent one of the at least three elements, for locking the one element and the adjacent element together. A second edge of the second element is connected to a second edge of the third element by a first of said locking devices.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/564,438, filed on Sep. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/486,681, filed on Sep. 15, 2014, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,451,097, which claims the benefit of Swedish Application No.1351060-7, filed on Sep. 16, 2013. The entire contents of each of U.S.application Ser. No. 16/564,438, U.S. application Ser. No. 14/486,681and Swedish Application No. 1351060-7 are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an assembled product, such as a box ora drawer, a furniture component or a furniture product, and a method ofassembling the product. The assembled product is provided with a lockingdevice comprising a flexible tongue.

BACKGROUND

A conventional furniture product is provided with a mechanical lockingsystem as shown, for example, in WO 2012/154113 A1. The furnitureproduct comprises a first panel connected perpendicularly to a secondpanel by a mechanical locking system comprising a flexible tongue in aninsertion groove.

SUMMARY

An objective of some embodiments of the present disclosure is to providean improvement over the above described technique and known art. Aspecific objective is to improve the method for assembling a furnitureproduct.

A further objective of the present disclosure is to provide a furnitureproduct with increased strength and stability.

At least some of these and other objectives and advantages that will beapparent from the present disclosure have been achieved by an assembledproduct comprising at least three elements arranged in three differentplanes, a first element is connected essentially perpendicular to asecond element, and a third element is connected essentiallyperpendicular to the second element. The assembled product comprises oneor more locking devices, each comprising a flexible tongue arranged inan insertion groove at one of the at least three elements, said flexibletongue cooperates with a tongue groove, at an adjacent one of the atleast three elements, for locking the one element and the adjacentelement together. The second edge of the second element is connected toa second edge of the third element by a first of said locking devices.

The elements may be panels, such as plastic panels or wood fibre basedboards, such as HDF boards, particleboard or solid wood board. Thepanels may be provided with a decorative layer.

The assembled product may be a furniture component or a furnitureproduct, such as a drawer, a cupboard, bookshelves, a wardrobe closet, akitchen fixture, or a box for storing or transporting items.

The three planes are preferably essentially perpendicular to each other.

A first edge of the third element may be connected to a first edge ofthe first element by a second of said locking devices. The first elementand the second element may be a first board and a second board,respectively, of a frame, and the third element may be the back piece ofa bookshelf or a wardrobe closet. The third element, such as a backpiece, connected by the first and the second of said locking devices,may increase the strength of the assembled product. The angle betweenfirst and the second element may be guided by the angle between thefirst and the second edge of the third element. A bookshelf or awardrobe closet with perpendicular corners may be obtained easily by theembodiments described herein. The first edge of the third element may beconnected slideable along the first edge of the first element in orderto simplify assembling and disassembling.

A first edge of a sixth element may be connected essentiallyperpendicular to the first element, between the second and fourthelements. The sixth element may be essentially parallel to the secondand fourth elements. The first edge of the sixth element may beconnected by a seventh of said locking devices. The flexible tongue ofthe seventh of said locking devices is preferably arranged in aninsertion groove at the first edge of the sixth element. The sixthelement may be a fixed shelf of the assembled product, such as abookshelf.

A fourth element may be connected essentially perpendicular to the firstelement, wherein a third edge of the third element may be connected to asecond edge of the fourth element by a third of said locking devices.

The second and the fourth elements may be arranged essentially paralleland the third element may be connected slideable to the second and thefourth elements in order to facilitate disassembling.

A fourth edge of the third element may be arranged in a groove at asecond edge of a fifth element. The fifth element may be connectedessentially perpendicular to the second and fourth elements.

The assembled product may be a semi product for a drawer, without thefifth element that may be a front panel. The first, second and fourthelements may be boards of the frame and the third element may be thebottom board. The front panel may be connected essentially perpendicularto the second and fourth elements in the same factory as the semiproduct. Alternatively, the front panel may be connected essentiallyperpendicular to the second and fourth elements in another factory or bya carpenter at a construction site.

A first edge of the fifth element may be connected to a third edge ofthe second element by a fourth one of said locking devices, and a thirdedge of the fifth element may be connected to a third edge of the fourthelement by a fifth one of said locking devices.

A first edge of the first element may be connected to a first edge ofthe second element by a sixth one of said locking devices.

A first edge of a forth element may be connected to a third edge of thefirst elements by a seventh one of said locking devices.

The insertion groove, in at least one of said locking devices, mayextend along essentially the entire length of the edge of one of the atleast three elements.

The tongue groove, in at least one of said locking devices, may extendalong essentially the entire length of the edge of the adjacent one ofthe at least three elements.

A tongue groove and an insertion groove that extend along essentiallythe entire width (i.e., edge) of the one element and the adjacentelement, respectively, may facilitate the production of the tonguegroove and the insertion groove. The tongue groove and the insertiongroove may be produce by displacing the element and the adjacentelement, respectively, pass a fixed milling head.

The flexible tongue, in at least one of said locking devices, may bedisplaceable in the insertion groove during locking and un-locking ofthe locking device.

The locking devices may comprise an edge section groove at one of theelements or at the adjacent one of the elements. An edge section of theother of the one element or the adjacent element may cooperate with saidedge groove for locking the one element and the adjacent elementtogether. The flexible tongue and the tongue groove cooperate forlocking the one element and the adjacent element together in a firstdirection and the edge section and the edge section groove cooperate forlocking the one element and the adjacent element together in a seconddirection, perpendicular to the first direction.

The edge section of the elements may be provided with a calibratinggroove.

The third element may be provided with a dismantling groove or recess atone or more of said locking devices. The dismantling groove or recess ispreferably adapted for insertion of a dismantling tool. The dismantlingtool may be inserted into the dismantling groove or recess to un-lockthe locking device.

Any of the first, the second, the fourth or the fifth element may alsobe provided with a dismantling groove at any of the locking devices, andsaid dismantling groove or recess is preferably adapted for insertion ofa dismantling tool. The dismantling tool may be inserted into thedismantling groove or recess to un-lock the locking device.

A second aspect of the invention is an assembled product, such as afurniture product, comprising at least two elements arranged asdiscussed herein. A first element is connected essentially perpendicularto an adjacent second element, with a main surface of the first elementperpendicular to a main surface of the adjacent second element, by alocking device. The locking device includes a flexible tongue arrangedin an insertion groove at one of the first and second elements. Theflexible tongue cooperates with a tongue groove, at the other of thefirst and second elements for locking the first and second elementstogether. The first element or the adjacent second element is providedwith a dismantling groove or recess for un-locking the locking device.Said dismantling groove or recess is preferably adapted for insertion ofa dismantling tool.

The locking devices may comprise an edge section groove at the firstelement or at the adjacent second element. An edge section of the otherof the first element or the adjacent second element may cooperate withsaid edge groove for locking the first element and the adjacent secondelement together. The flexible tongue and the tongue groove cooperatefor locking the first element and the adjacent second element togetherin a first direction and the edge section and the edge section groovecooperate for locking the first element and the adjacent second elementtogether in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction.The dismantling groove or recess is preferably arranged at the edgesection. The dismantling groove or recess may be covered by a coveringplate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will by way of example bedescribed in more detail with reference to the appended schematicdrawings.

FIGS. 1A-1B show embodiments of a locking device for a furnitureproduct.

FIGS. 2A-2C show a furniture component or a furniture product accordingto disclosed embodiments.

FIGS. 3A-3B show a furniture component or a furniture product accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows a mechanical locking system for a furniture componentaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 4B shows a method of assembling a furniture component or afurniture product according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5A shows a partly assembled furniture product or furniturecomponent according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5B shows a corner section of a furniture component or a furnitureproduct according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 6A-6D show embodiments of a locking device for a furnitureproduct.

FIG. 7A shows an embodiment of a locking device for a furniture product.

FIGS. 7B-7C show embodiments of a locking device for a furniture productand a disassembling tool.

FIGS. 7D-E show embodiments of a locking device provided with adisassembling recess and a disassembling tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of a locking device for locking an element 4 to anadjacent element 2 is shown in FIGS. 1A-1B. The element 4 and theadjacent element 2 may be boards of a furniture product that areconnected perpendicular to each other, i.e., with a main surface of theelement 4 perpendicular to a main surface of the adjacent element 2. Anedge section 22 of the element 4 is arranged in an edge section groove21 of the adjacent element 2 for locking the element 4 and the adjacentelement 2 together in a first direction. The embodiment in FIG. 1Acomprises a flexible tongue 30 arranged in an insertion groove 20 in theedge section groove 21 and a tongue groove 10 at the edge section 22.The embodiment in FIG. 1B comprises a flexible tongue 30 arranged in aninsertion groove 20 at the edge section 22 and a tongue groove 10 in theedge section groove 21. The flexible tongue 30 and the tongue groove 10cooperate for locking the element 4 and the adjacent element 2 togetherin a second direction, which is essentially perpendicular to the firstdirection. The flexible tongue 30 is, during assembling of the element 4and the adjacent element 2, pushed into the insertion groove 20 when theedge section 22 is inserted into the edge section groove 21. Theflexible tongue 30 springs back and into the tongue groove 10 when theelement 4 and the adjacent element 2 have reached a connected state.

The element 4 may be a back piece of a bookshelf or a wardrobe closet,and the adjacent element 2 may be a board of the frame of the bookshelfof wardrobe closet. The element 4 may also be a bottom of a drawer andthe adjacent element 2 may be a board of the frame of the drawer.Furthermore the element 4 and the adjacent element 2 may be a first anda second board respectively of a frame of a bookshelf, a wardrobe closetor a drawer. The back piece and the bottom may be a HDF board or aparticleboard with a thickness of about 2-4 mm. A back piece with athickness less than 2 mm may be too weak to stabilize the assembledproduct. A back piece is, for a great numbers of furniture products, thelargest element, and a thickness over 4 mm may render the back piececumbersome to assemble. Further embodiments may comprise one or more ofthe locking devices described above. The embodiments in FIGS. 1A and 1Binclude a calibrating groove 40 at one side of the edge section 22.However, the edge section 22 may include a second calibrating groove atthe opposing side of the edge section (see, e.g., FIG. 6A).

FIG. 2A shows a furniture product, such as a bookshelf, comprising eightof the locking devices, arranged with a side of the frame facingdownwards. The furniture product comprises a first element 1, e.g., aside of the bookshelf, connected at a first edge to a first edge of asecond element 2, e.g., the top of the bookshelf, by one of the lockingdevices. A first edge of a third element 4, e.g., a rectangular backpiece of the bookshelf, is connected to a second edge of the secondelement 2 by another of the locking devices. A second edge of the thirdelement 4 is connected to second edge of the first element 1 by anotherof said locking devices. A first edge of a fourth element 5, e.g., abottom of the bookshelf, is connected to a third edge of the firstelement 1 by another of said locking devices. An edge section 22 of athird edge of the third element 4 may be arranged in an edge sectiongroove 21 at a second edge of the fourth element 5. A first edge of afifth element 6, e.g., an opposite side of the bookshelf, is connectedto a third edge of the fourth element 5, by another of said lockingdevices, and a third edge of the fifth element 6 is connected to a thirdedge of the second element 2, by another of said locking devices. Anedge section 22 of a fourth edge of the third element 4 may be arrangedin an edge section groove 21 at a second edge of the fifth element 6.The locking device at the first edge and the second edge, respectively,of the third element 4 may each comprise two or more flexible tongues30. A sixth element 3, e.g., a shelf of the bookshelf, which is arrangedparallel to the first element 1 and the fourth element 5, is connected,by another of the locking devices, at a first edge to the first element1. A third edge of the sixth element 3 is connected, by another of thelocking devices, to the fifth element 6. The flexible tongue 30 of thelocking device at the first edge and third edge, respectively, of thesixth element 3 is preferably arranged at the edge section 22.

FIG. 2B shows a cross section CS 2B of the first element 1, the thirdelement 4 and the fifth element 6. This figure shows that an edgesection 22 of the fourth edge of the third element 4 may be arranged inthe edge section groove 21 at the second edge of the fifth element 6.The third element 4 may comprise two or more boards 4 a-4 d locked by amechanical locking system. A second edge of the sixth element 3 may beprovided with another of the locking devices (not shown) for connectingadjacent edges of adjacent boards. FIG. 4A shows an embodiment of themechanical locking system of the boards 4 a-4 d. The mechanical lockingsystem comprises a tongue 60 at a first edge of a first board thatcooperates with a tongue groove 50 at a second edge of a second boardfor locking the first and the second boards in a first direction.Furthermore, the locking system comprises a protruding strip 70 with alocking element 71 at the second edge. The locking element 71 cooperateswith a locking groove 80 at the first edge for locking the first and thesecond boards in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the firstdirection. The boards and the locking system are preferably arranged inthe assembled product, with the locking strip 70 facing the directionthat is to be loaded. The locking system may remain locked if arrangedin this way.

FIG. 2C shows a cross section CS 2C of the second and third elements 2,4. The third element 4 is, in this embodiment, provided with adismantling groove 33 adapted for insertion of a dismantling tool (notshown), which pushes the flexible tongue 30 into the insertion groove20, which facilitates dismantling of the second and third elements 2, 4.

FIG. 3A shows a furniture product, such as a bookshelf, comprising eightof the locking devices, arranged with a side of the frame facingdownwards. The furniture product comprises a first element 1, e.g., aside of the bookshelf, connected at a first edge to a first edge of asecond element 2, e.g., the top of the bookshelf, by one of the lockingdevices. A first edge of a third element 4, e.g., a rectangular backpiece of the bookshelf, is connected to a second edge of the secondelement 2 by another of the locking devices. An edge section 22 of asecond edge of the third element 4 may be inserted into an edge sectiongroove 21 of a second edge of the first element 1. A first edge of afourth element 5, e.g., a bottom of the bookshelf, is connected to athird edge of the first element 1 by another of said locking devices. Athird edge of the third element 4 is connected to a second edge of thefourth element 5 by another of said locking devices. A first edge of afifth element 6, e.g., a side of the bookshelf, is connected to a thirdedge of the fourth element 5, by another of said locking devices, and athird edge of the fifth element 6 is connected to a third edge of thesecond element 2 by another of said locking devices. An edge section 22of a fourth edge of the third element 4 may be arranged in an edgesection groove 21 at a second edge of the fifth element 5. The lockingdevice at the first and the third edges, respectively, of the thirdelement 4 may each comprise two or more flexible tongues 30. A sixthelement 3, e.g., a shelf of the bookshelf, which is arranged parallel tothe first and the fourth elements 1, 5, is connected by another of thelocking devices at a first edge to the first to the first element 1, anda third edge of the sixth element 3 is connected, by another of thelocking devices, to the fifth element 6. The flexible tongue 30 of thelocking device at the first and third edges, respectively, of the sixthelement 3 is preferably arranged at the edge section 22. The thirdelement 4 is preferably connected slideable at the first and the thirdedges in order to facilitate disassembling.

FIG. 3B shows a cross section CS 3B of the first element 1, the thirdelement 4 and the fifth element 6. The third element 4 may comprise twoor more boards 4 a and 4 b locked by the mechanical locking systemdescribed above.

FIG. 4B shows an embodiment of a method for assembling the productdescribed in FIGS. 2A-2C. The first element 1, second element land sixthelement 3 are preferably connected to each other before the thirdelement 4 is connected to the product. The third element 4 may bedisplaced in a diagonal direction 41 such that the first edge and thesecond edge of the third element 4 is connected at the same time to thesecond edge of the first element 1 and to the second edge of the secondelement 2. An alternative is to displace the third element 4 in a firstdirection 42 perpendicular to the first element 1 and subsequentlydisplace the third element 4 in a second direction 43 perpendicular tothe second element 2. The first edge of the third element 4 is in thisembodiment connected displaceable at the first edge. Another alternativeis to displace the third element 4 in the second direction 43perpendicular to the second element 2 and subsequently displace thethird element 4 in the first direction 43 perpendicular to the firstelement 1. The second edge of the third element 4 is in this embodimentconnected displaceable at the second edge. Further, the connected firstelement 1, second element 2 and sixth element 3 can together bedisplaced diagonally opposite to the direction 41 such that the secondedge of the first element 1 and the second edge of the second element 2are connected at the same time to the first edge and the second edge ofthe third element 4.

FIG. 5A shows a furniture product, such as a drawer, comprising six ofthe locking devices, arranged with a side of the frame facing downwards.The furniture product comprises a first element 1, e.g., an inner sideof the drawer, connected at a first edge to a first edge of a secondelement 2, e.g., a side of the drawer, by one of the locking devices. Afirst edge of a third element 4, e.g., a rectangular bottom of thedrawer, is connected to a second edge of the second element 2 by anotherof the locking devices. An edge section 22 of a second edge of the thirdelement 4 may be inserted into an edge section groove 21 of a secondedge of the first element 1. A first edge of a fourth element 5, e.g., aside of the drawer, is connected to a third edge of the first element 1by another of said locking devices. A third edge of the third element 4is connected to a second edge of the fourth element 5 by another of saidlocking devices. A first edge of a fifth element 6, e.g., a front panelof the drawer, is subsequently connected to a third edge of the fourthelement 5 by another of said locking devices, and a third edge of thefifth element 6 is connected to a third edge of the second element 2 byanother of said locking devices. The fifth element 6 may be connected inthe same factory in which the first through fourth elements 1, 2, 4, 5are connected, or alternatively in another factory or by a carpenter ata construction site. An edge section 22 of a fourth edge of the thirdelement 4 may be arranged in an edge section groove 21 at a second edgeof the fifth element 5. The locking device at the first edge and thethird edge, respectively, of the third element 4 may each comprise twoor more flexible tongues 30. The third element 4 is preferably connectedslideable at the first edge and the third edge in order to facilitatedisassembling.

The fifth element 6 (front panel) may be displaced during connection ina direction 44 perpendicular to the fourth edge of the third element 4,and to the third edges of the second and fourth elements 2, 5. Thebottom panel of the drawer in this embodiment may be connected with thesame methods as described under FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5B shows that the corner section between, for instance, the firstelement 1 and the second element 2 may be provide with a cover plate 91,in order to hide the locking device.

FIGS. 6A-6D show alternative embodiments of the locking device. In theseembodiments, a calibrating groove 40 may be provided at one or two sidesof the edge section 22. The tongue groove 10 may be symmetric at upperand lower parts of the groove such that the same dismantling tool (notshown) can be used at opposite positions of the locking device, i.e.,mirror inverted locking devices. The edge section groove 21 may beprovided with a guiding surface 32 that facilitates insertion of theedge section 22 into the edge section groove 21. The edge section groove21 may be provided with two opposite tongue grooves 10 as shown in FIGS.6C and 6D. The two opposite tongue grooves 10 may be made by an endcutter, such as by a craftsman on site.

FIG. 7A shows that the embodiment with two opposite tongue grooves 10may be provided with two flexible tongues 30.

FIGS. 7B-7C show disassembling of the locking device by inserting asymmetric dismantling tool 90 into a symmetric tongue groove 10.

FIGS. 7D-7E show alternative embodiments provided with a dismantlingrecess 34. These embodiments may be an alternative to the embodimentshown in FIG. 2C, if for example, it is desired to un-lock the lockingdevice from the inside of a furniture product, such as a drawer, a boxor a bookshelf. These embodiments may also be used to connect the fifthelement 6 to the second and fourth elements 2, 5 in the embodiment shownin FIG. 5A. The tongue 30 is arranged in the edge section groove 21 inFIG. 7E and at the edge section 22 in FIG. 7D. The edge section 22 inFIG. 7E is provided with a dismantling recess 34 which adapted toaccommodate a dismantling tool 90. The tongue 30 is pushed back into thedisplacement groove 20 to un-lock the locking device when thedismantling tool 90 is inserted into the dismantling recess 34. Thedismantling recess 34 may be covered by a covering plate (not shown).The embodiments with the dismantling groove 33 or recess 34 areparticular advantageous for embodiments which do not have a tonguegroove 10 that is accessible from an outer end of the tongue groove 10for insertion of a dismantling tool. However, the embodiments with thedismantling groove 33 or recess 34 may be used to connect any adjacentelements in order to facilitate disassembling.

1.-17. (canceled)
 18. An assembled furniture product comprising at leasttwo panels arranged in two different planes which are essentiallyperpendicular to each other, wherein: the at least two panels include afirst panel connected perpendicular to a second panel by a lockingdevice; the locking device comprises an edge section groove at a surfaceof the first panel, wherein an edge section of the second panelcooperates with the edge section groove for locking the first panel andthe second panel together in a first direction; the locking devicecomprises a flexible tongue arranged in an insertion groove in the edgesection groove; the flexible tongue cooperates with a tongue groove inthe edge section for locking the first panel and the second paneltogether in a second direction which is perpendicular to the firstdirection; and a width of an opening of the tongue groove is greaterthan a width of an opening of the insertion groove.
 19. The assembledfurniture product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the locking device isconfigured to be unlocked by inserting a dismantling tool into thetongue groove for disassembling of the first panel and the second panel.20. The assembled furniture product as claimed in claim 18, wherein thetongue groove extends along essentially an entire length of an edge ofthe second panel.
 21. The assembled furniture product as claimed inclaim 20, wherein the insertion groove extends along essentially theentire length of an edge of the first panel.
 22. The assembled furnitureproduct as claimed in claim 18, wherein the flexible tongue isdisplaceable in the insertion groove.
 23. The assembled furnitureproduct as claimed in claim 18, wherein the edge section is providedwith a calibrating groove.